Shu's Birthday
by Inita
Summary: Dedicated to: AxelXIII07. BD: Awakened Shadow; Shu's birthday nears and Sahlia goes into a panic, wondering what exactly would be the perfect birthday gift... In desperation, she turns to a certain girl... Sahlia/Kluke friendship; Shu/Sahlia


**A/N****: **_Focusing on writing first... This was complete before anything else... Merci beaucoup, la musique... Les Chipmunks et les chipettes sont amusants et très talent... xD Je suis une épave..._

_For __**AxelXIII07**__ because she is a __**dear friend**__ to me, and is willing to put everything out of the way just to make me feel better. I know things haven't been great in the past and I want to __**apologize for that,**__ but its life. I know that the relationship won't be the same, but just remember that it's over now. __**Don't let it get to you**__. There's so much I want to say to you, but I __**don't want others reading all the details**__. I know you're not a huge fan of Shu/Sahlia, but this... I don't know; it was the first that came to me. I tried working on Jiro/Kluke, but that turned into something far less 'angsty' than you wanted... Granted this one shot isn't 'angst', but I just... I don't know; I went with it._

_Game: Awakened Shadow (Alternate Turn; Personalities are altered to fit the __**first game **__and __**a bit of**__ the __**last**__)  
Pairings: Shu/Sahlia; __**slight **__Sahlia/Shu/Kluke  
Friendship: Sahlia/Kluke  
Quest: "Shu's Birthday"; post game_

_* For those who do not know/do not have Awakened Shadow, in the last game you can complete... er, 'things' called quests. In quests, you can gain new group members to help and blah, blah, blah. Anywho, this takes place during the quest where the [player] can get Sahlia on their team... Sort of e.e_

_**A lot of things are altered. It is, nonetheless, Shu's birthday.  
Point of Views: **__Third Person Limited_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Dragon._

/

She smoothes out her red dress for the i_third_/itime that day, not allowing herself to believe – it can't be – that the calendar is circled in red pen around a _very _important date... Inhaling deeply, she lets the breath out as she paces in front of said calendar, completely lost with what to do. There was no doubt that Kluke (or Shu's other friends) wouldn't be focused on buying him a present... It would be too surreal to think/do otherwise... And, just like smoothing out her red dress, she taps her small boot against the ground for the i_third_/itime that day... or, morning would be more appropriate... Sahlia shot a quick glance at the scattered ingredients across the counter, chewing on her lower lip anxiously. Did she dare make him _another _cookie? She did that last year... In fact, Sahlia had baked him a whole picnic basket full of sweets last year, but she hadn't known she was off by a date...so it was belated. Nevertheless, it certainly paid off to see her crush gobble down the crunchy biscuits and (even) offer quite a few to her while he munched on them... loudly. Noisily. Obnoxiously- whatever.

Nearly stumbling over her feet, Sahlia hurries over to her bookshelf, pulling out a small planner. She slams it on her table in a hurry (after all, the day _is _almost over) and flips through the pages, accidentally crinkling a few in the process. The girl, having found the right name, stops and stands straight, gaze now locked on the bowl and eggs resting on her countertop. Without another word, she closes the book and places it back on the shelf, hand freezing overtop the spiral spine.

Should she...?

After all... Kluke i_was_/iin love with Shu too... right?

Sahlia shook her head, eyes scrunched as if it would rid Kluke of the feelings... if she harnessed any for the younger boy. No, Kluke wasn't in love with Shu. She was sure of that; the 'doctor' was just looking out for him like a brother. They had a relationship that seemed more 'sibling' like than anything else... In a way, thinking about all the drama and how _far out of reach _Shu was, Sahlia couldn't help but feel jealous of the two newfound friends: Randel and Chiffon. Those two (well... _one _anyway) may not see it themselves, but Sahlia was (a bit) of a hopeless romantic; she knew Chiffon had a crush on Randel, but the latter was too blind and short to see it. In fact, the light blue-eyed girl had probably dropped a million hits... and he i_still hadn't caught on_/i!

'i_Who does that sound like.../i?_' she thought bitterly.

Chucking all of this aside, she went back to pacing... Two steps towards her bed, turn, five steps 'till she reached the stairs, and so on...

The clock had struck a quarter before the next hour when she let out an irritated noise in the back of her throat, rushing up the stairs and out the door. Not bothering to lock it nor check to see if it were close completely.

/

Kluke nodded as her patient rambled on about his sickness and wellbeing. It was the same thing basically; he was still dealing with growth pains and, according to the granddaughter, experiencing the beginning symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, that was one sickness that was common in older people; they were prone to it almost. Luckily, Fushira hadn't experienced any of said symptoms that she was currently jotting down. Referring to the 'jotting down', the paper was almost halfway full of different words and letters – some numbers mixed in as well. When everything was all said and done (she had it by hearted almost, which was sad; her magic should've worked by now), Kluke let out a sigh, placing the paper inside the adjacent folder.

Kneeling down to stare eye to eye with the younger girl, she said, "Hanami, as far as I'm concerned, there are is not a medical cure for Alzheimer's, but..." She bit the inside of her lip; the girl was young and Kluke couldn't afford to break out the full truth to her. A mixed feeling of dread, guilt, and shame seeped into her body, starting from the feet up. It took no hesitance to spin circles inside her conscious once it reached the head. "...I know one way you can help: Stay close to him because with this type of sickness, it's easy to forget. I don't want you to leave while he's cooking or if he goes out just to shop." i_Oh wow, Kluke../i. _That's i_your best explanation? You are _losing _it, lady... Some doctor you are... What would your parents-/i _She rose, now making eye contact with the older man, nodding as if to assure everything was going to be fine. She knew it was a lie, but she couldn't say that. Not in front of the girl...

Hanami's shoulders slumped, the bright, patch of blonde hair pulled up in pigtails seeming drained of radiance. Girls at her age _should not _have to hear of death... (Kluke knew that was for sure; it wasn't fair.) Nonetheless, her innocent blue eyes shone brilliantly with understood feeling. "I know what you're trying to say, Doctor Kluke..." she said softly, tiny pearls forming at the corner of her eyes. As if Kluke had noticed them (which she _had_), Hanami lifted up her right forearm, wiping them away violently.

And before Kluke could move forward to comfort her, the grandfather had his arms wrapped around Hanami, placating her by saying he was going to be fine. Right then and there had the lump formed in her throat – she forced herself to painfully swallow it down before it could choke her. Nonetheless, he gave her a knowing look, said 'thank you' (quite sincerely), and took his leave with an upset looking girl in an orange dress by his side. When they had left the room, Kluke maneuvered around her desk, collapsing at once into her chair with her hands covering her eyes. She could feel the wetness spading through their coverings and smearing themselves onto her palms. How she missed being able to just i_cry/i _and forget about everything else... Someone very special told her that it was okay to cry when she was alone... but with her job at the hospital, it was hard i_no/it _to let the tears fall. So many people walked in with terrible news... it was heartbreaking.

"Um... excuse me? K-Kluke?"

She sat up in her seat, hastily removing her hands from her face. And after that, all she was conscious about was the way her stomach felt full of lead. What met her gaze made her jaw drop, the sight of the person standing before her also capable of stealing any words on the tip of her tongue. All she could say was one word: "Sahlia?" Hoping the latter hadn't seen her crying, Kluke stood, palms flat down on the smooth surface of the desk. For some reason, just planting hands on the rosewood retrieved back some vocabulary. "What do you need? Are you sick?"

The younger shook her head, fiddling with her fingers. "No... I was just... U-Um..." She averted her gaze to the bookshelves, as if she were being punished and struggling to find a plausible excuse for her misdeeds. "Don't get mad, but this is about... well... I've been thinking about it lately and..." She swallowed and when she faced Kluke, her eyebrows were knitted together, face seemed flushed, and clenched fists were tight at her side. The next words (or whatever it may have been; Kluke was able to get out a rocky translation) were so jumbled and spat out with no care for sense: "It's-Shu-and-I-really-want-to-get-him-a-birthday-present! !"

An incredulous look passed over Kluke's features. "What?"

Sahlia remained in the tightened pose, but relaxed after letting out a deep sigh. "It's about Shu... and I want to get him a birthday present this year. I got him one _last _year, but it was belated... I don't want that to happen again... But you see? The thing is, I don't know i_what/i _to get him... I don't know him that well and what I i_do/i _know, is that he really likes the cookies I bake, but that's about it. I haven't tried anything else... So I know I shouldn't be asking – especially if you think of him as more than a friend – but do you know what he likes? Or maybe what he wants?"

Kluke blinked a few times, eyes widened in astonishment. Why – out of all things possible in the world – was Sahlia asking her... about Shu? Weren't they _against _each other...? In a way? Nevertheless, she let out a deep sigh, finding the words she wanted to speak, "I... suppose I could help you. But I need to finish with the hospital first, okay? If I were to be honest with you, Sahlia, I'd say that Shu would like anything you give him. The gift doesn't matter – it's the thought that counts." 'i_That sounded very poetic.../i'_ she thought, a bitter taste residing in her mouth. "Though, yes... Just give me a few minutes..." With that, she turns back to the scattered folders, stacking them together (not cognizant of the way some files slip through the sleeves).

_iToday was going to be... a very long day.../i_

/

Sahlia had waited impatiently for her friend to finish, pacing back to and fro to keep herself occupied. So when the other was _finally _finished, they walked out the hospital, flipping the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed'. This all said and done, Sahlia hastily grabbed Kluke's hand and dragged her to the square. "Come i_on/i,_ Kluke! I can't afford to give him something i_belated/i_! It'll be two years in a row!" she cried, voice hiked and panicked while the other protested to 'let go of my arm!'. In the end, Sahlia could've said this was the start of a beautiful friendship.

"Wait!"

She does so, letting go of the wrist in order to face Kluke. "What?"

The latter tugged at the bow in her hair, words clogged in her throat. "Well, you need to think of something to make him, right?"

Sahlia blinked a few times before standing straight_er_. "Oh... right..." What _was _she going to get Shu anyway? It could be _anything_... But when Kluke had spoken, there was one word that stuck out like a sore thumb: Make. In other words, _make _him something... Like last year... She didn't want to follow the food scenario again, so she mentally shook her head, annoyed with herself. "Um, do you have any ideas?" In this case, Sahlia had become overwhelmed with unease when she spoke to Kluke... It's not that she didn't _hate _her, but it was just awkward talking to a girl, who knew her (Sahlia) crush since childhood... What if Kluke was jealous? What if Kluke was just doing this to see her panic? What if she was i_secretly/i _plotting to get him something too? What if-

"Calm down..." Kluke said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're not going to get anywhere if you start panicking... Pull it together, and before we go to any shops, we can discuss what to get him..." She removed her hand, placing it on her hip instead. "Clear?"

A nod.

"Good..." She tapped a finger to her chin thoughtfully, debating whether or not to reveal her gift she gave to Shu last year. In the end, she stuck with the former; who gives a damn? No one was going to care... much. "I made Shu a new pair of shoes last year... He's always running around and doing reckless activities, so that's why I made him a new pair... The old ones that you've seen him wear for about a year now... they were made by his father, I believe. I'm surprised he hadn't outgrown them over time, but..." She cut herself off, not having the courage to finish the phrase. She did _not _want to think of Shu's parents (nor her own) after witnessing the touching scene between the grandfather and Hanami. "Just think of what he likes to do... Maybe repair the mechat with him this afternoon, or-"

"Take the mechat out for a ride instead..." Sahlia responded, tone a little dazed as if it were the best idea in a century. "You're right, he loves that machine. I know lately Randel has been taking it to find out more about his past, but maybe when he gets back, I can persuade him to let me use it."

"Sure..." Kluke said slowly, a nervous doubt drilling thorns into her side. "He'd like that..."

Sahlia grinned, but it faded away soon after. "I, uh... don't know how to drive it...?"

_iFigures/i_. "So let him drive it instead."

"But it's _his _birthday. I don't want him to drive; I'd like to just so he can get a break."

Kluke curled her upper lip, taking in the matter for further analysis. Then, without another word, she turned and walked towards the Neo Jibral Garden, directing Sahlia towards their destination with a knowing look.

/

"I think I know what I'm going to get him..."

Kluke glanced up from her seat on the hospital bed, eyes drained of energy from running around like a maniac trying to find the perfect gift. They had gone to the garden where they _were _going to discuss gift matters, but of i_course/i_ Shu was there with Jiro. They arrived in the Neo Jibral Grasslands, but only made it halfway to turn back due to the dangerous monsters – no shadow, no fighting skills. And neither one of the girls were huge fans of the swords... Then they went to the Jibral Laboratory, but the setting was too loud to hear one another. They had debated to use Chiffon's room, but discarded that plan because she was on another cube. So in the end, they collapsed inside the hospital. She shook her head to clear away the thoughts, asking, "What is it?"

Sahlia turned to face her, beaming. "I think I'll make him a lunchbox!" She exclaimed, smiling. "Not only that, but I think I'll take him out to eat maybe..." She crossed her arms, eyes locked on the floor. "Not really a date... It's part of the present for him..." (The last words were added quickly and Kluke wondered if she did this for her sake.) "There aren't many restaurants in Neo Jibral... If we could get the garden alone to ourselves..." She trailed off, kicking the floor lightly to emphasis the frustration plaguing her mind. The girl looked up, brown eyes meeting brown. "What do you think, Kluke? Good idea?"

She shrugged, standing besides the bed now. "I think it'll work. He'll really like it – I know he will." Her gaze averted to her desk. "I have something to give him too..." Eyes were back to Sahlia. "...but I'll give it to him later. What time do you plan on having the date...?"

The response consisted of stuttering, red-faced, and conjoined words... "I-It's not a-adate, K-Kluke! I j-just want to hang out w-withhimtonight..." Finally, the color left her face, the pale complexion now visible. "This may not be a problem for you, Kluke... but Shu... I don't think he likes me in that way. He's usually after food; I just know it." She swallowed. "I just want him to look at me for a second rather than concentrating on something I i_made/i_..." In the deep corner of her mind, Sahlia knew that this was a typical 'guy' reaction/attitude around a girl who could cook... Guys only thought with their stomachs (some of them; Jiro was one of a kind) and were completely blind to the feelings the girl harnessed for them... Typical. That's life – get over it.

Kluke sighed, closing the long distance between her and Sahlia. Just like earlier that day, she placed her hand on the other's shoulder; it was something she did with Shu when he was younger. "Sahlia, he's a boy... Shu's really dense when it comes to these kind of things." A wry smile tugged at her lips. "That's why if you want to talk to someone about it, let me know. I'm not a matchmaker, but I'll try hard to make him realize how you truly feel. I'm sure that he's just shy around you too... Maybe his shyness is forcing him to hide inside of his shell and explore a different side of life. Trust me; I've known Shu for years. Now wouldn't you think it'd be strange if I didn't' recognize his attitude? He's acted like this before around my birthday two years ago. So just be patient... Shu's not ready and I don't think you are either, Sahlia. Just let time stall you until the time is right."

"You're..."

She blinked, removing her hand. "What?"

"...really good at advice." Sahlia said, laughing slightly as her phrase came to an end. "I mean it, Kluke. You're right about him too... And you're right about time as well. Maybe you're right; maybe it isn't time to take advances or start thinking... But that doesn't mean I'm not going to give up." She followed this up with a wink and the two shared a laugh. "Yeah, I won't push things... I wish he could see, but..." Her lips formed a tight line. "Guess I should wait, huh?"

Kluke nodded, averting her gaze to the clock. "Exactly... But you know what you can't wait for?"

The smile that had sprouted from the look faded. "What?"

She pointed at the door with her index finger. "...Shouldn't you be making his 'gift' by now?"

As if on perfect cue, her eyes dilated and she gapped, turning on her heel so quickly she almost knocked into Kluke. "Sorry!" she called from the other room, the slamming of the front door signaling her leave.

Kluke let out a breath she hadn't known she was keeping in for so long. "What a mess... But I suppose I could help in a way..." Subconsciously, her eyes slid towards the box underneath her desk.

/

Things could i_not/i _have gotten worse at that point.

Sahlia had walked away from the stove for _five seconds_ only to turn and see the sweets burning from the inside. She let out a cry and darted over, pulling on the mitts carelessly and pulling out the burning sheet. The black smoke continued to curl in the air, puffing out large fumes that seeped through the burners as well. Sahlia, having been trained for situations like this (sort of ) waved one of the mitts back and forth to blow away the smoke. When this process was finished, she gritted her teeth, narrowly locking her eyes on the temperature.

It was the right three-digit number... but...

She needed a new stove.

With a tired groan, she slid to the floor after turning the knob back to 'zero'. She threw off the mitts and sat there, doing absolutely nothing.

"Sahlia?" a voice sounded from the other side of the front door. "I forgot to give you something..."

The girl clad in the red dress raised an eyebrow, throwing herself up off the ground and onto her feet. She hurried over and pulled back the door, revealing Kluke. Her eyes narrowed, but it wasn't offensive – more perplexing and confused. "What are you doing here, Kluke?"

She had her arms behind her back and her black dress blew elegantly in the breeze while the strands of her loose hair was tousled by the mild wind of the night. Her eyes that night seemed brighter than usual, which was a bit odd to Sahlia... Nevertheless, it was no surprise that Jiro (and Shu for that matter) liked her – she was pretty. "I... forgot to give you this." Kluke said, revealing what she was keeping secret.

The sight was astonishing and it made Sahlia gasp (almost). It was just an ordinary circular box, but it was adorned with different patterns and 'paste-on' jewelry. The lid was painted bright pink with an odd yellow, heart-shaped design with a green oval gem in the center of the insignia. On the circumference of the lid were different patterns, but one thing caught Sahlia's eyes the most. It was a small illustration of a cat genie and a dragon that was drawn out on the sides. The painting was so precise and accurate that Sahlia was astonished to see Kluke had _this _much time to paint something and have it turn out brilliantly.

"Kluke... This is..." When the box was pushed towards her, Sahlia took it into her own hands, much obliged. "Did you do this?"

The girl shrugged. "Well... I had Jiro help me with a good amount of the shadows..." She folded her hands together, rocking back and forth on her feet. "I didn't really need the box. I gave him i._my/i _present before we started painting... But don't worry; don't feel as if mine is better. I ran out of time so I ended up getting something cheap in contrast to last year." She didn't i_dare/i _tell Sahlia what it was... never mind herself. It _was _cheap... "So I decided to make you this... I know you said you needed a lunch box, but with the cooking in the mix, I wanted to help... It's just too much, Sahlia. Don't bite off more than you can chew."

"I don't know what to say..." Sahlia drifted off, staring at the box with wide eyes.

Only a mere five seconds had passed before Kluke found herself crushed into an embrace. She stiffened at the response, but returned the gesture. "It wasn't a problem; I'm glad I could help..." She narrowed her eyes at the smoke-spewing stove over Sahlia's shoulder. "Uh, do you need some help?"

The one being questioned let go, cheeks heated up in embarrassment. "Um... yeah, please." She laughed nervously, a hand covering her mouth.

/

Sahlia waited impatiently for Shu, tapping her right foot against the pavement. She was more than grateful to Kluke and no little amount of surprise had jumped in when she realized Kluke had _basically sacrificed her gift_ just to help Sahlia... Slight guilt pricked her; the accusing thoughts of Kluke being in love with Shu were a bit rude on her part, but... She hoped it didn't matter much. She wanted to, more than anything else besides spend time with Shu today, repay her. It was the least she could do... Maybe she could make a few Ultimate Cookies to help treat patients... They were, after all, the most 'helpful' sweets in the universe... not really...

"Sorry I'm late!"

She jumped out of her skin, the voice pulling her away from her thoughts. However, that didn't stop the smile from spreading across her face at the sight of her crush. She hid the container from view and smiled, assuring him that it was alright. "It's fine, Shu... I was just thinking that's all..." she said once he was in earshot. "I have a lot on my mind, see?"

He blinked a few times. "Like what?"

Sahlia closed her eyes, small grin tugging at the corner of her lips. She shook her head, opened her eyes, and said, "Close your eyes and hold out both of your hands."

The incredulity on his face was no surprise, but he did as told.

Quick as a viper, she pulled out the container, and placed it in his palms – the cat genie and dragon picture facing where his line of sight would soon be. "You can open them now."

He did, and his reaction was the same as Sahlia's: Wide eyes, gapping, and a few shocked words... well, one word: "Whoa..."

Sahlia tugged at the purple cloth around her abdomen. "Kluke did that... The box?" What the heck? She had to give Kluke credit; it was only fair. After all, the girl had put aside so much time just to give Sahlia the satisfaction of handing over a present to Shu. It was another way she could repay her for helping. "Yeah, she drew the dragon and cat genie quite well... Jiro helped though." She added the last three words hastily, stumbling a bit over the middle. "I guess you could say it's a bit of a joint present... You can open it now if you want..."

And he did. And his eyes brightened at the buffet inside. "Sahlia, did you really make all of this? This is amazing!"

The girl blushed from his praise. "Yeah... Kluke helped a bit though... I tried cooking all of it by myself, but she volunteered to help when everything was falling downhill." She gestured to the box. "That's when I got _this_."

"Thanks a lot, Sahlia!" he exclaimed, pulling her into an awkward, one-armed hug. "I'll have to thank Kluke too, of course. Wouldn't be fair, right?" He chuckled, which coaxed out another blush and slight giggling.

Sahlia supposed the saying was right: Two heads _were _better than one. And it really did pay off when you leant a hand. From that point on, she enjoyed the picnic with Shu, not having a care in the world about anything else. However, she did send a few 'thank you's' to Kluke...

/

**A/N****:** _Done._

_~ Pour Axel_

**~ Inita**


End file.
